Unique Experiences

Item Description

Lunch or Dinner with Erich Ritter, Ph.D. — Shark Behaviorist — in Pensacola, Florida

Erich Ritter earned a Ph.D. from Zurich University in “Behavioral Ecology” and is the world’s  only professional applied shark-human interaction specialist. Ritter's main expertise is the body language of sharks, with a major interest in shark attacks and their causes.

Erich lost part of his calf to a shark years ago. Today, many of the old theories of why sharks sometimes bite humans have been erased through his experiments, and new ideas proposed. He is the only shark attack expert to recreate many of the typical attack scenarios with the respective species. His understanding of potential reasons for shark accidents opened new doors in this field of research.

Dr. Ritter is the head of the SharkSchool, an institution that teaches divers, snorkelers, rescue swimmers and others how to interact with sharks, what to look for when entering the water and most importantly how to feel safe among sharks.

He is also the executive director of SAVN, the Shark Accident Victim Nework, a non-for-profit organization that helps victims of shark accidents.

Erich has appeared in numerous documentary films, and authored scientific papers on shark behavior as well as books on the subject.

http://sharkvictimnetwork.org

http://www.sharkschool.com

Item Special Note

Being auctioned is dinner or lunch with one the world’s foremost shark experts or celebrities. It is a unique opportunity to “talk shark” face-to-face, one-on-one, with a real authority on sharks. 

How it works:

1. Bid on a celebrity, shark scientist or conservationist that lives or works in your area, unless you are willing to drive or fly to meet them in their area.

2. The winning bidder pays for the lunch or dinner and may bring as many guests as he or she wishes.

3. We will introduce the winning bidder to the celebrity, scientist or conservationist. The two of you then set a mutually agreeable  date, time and place to meet within one year of the close of the auction.

All winning bids are charitable contributions deductible from US Federal 2013 income taxes.  Funds raised by the auction will be used to support shark research and conservation programs.